DESCRIPTION 


OF 

A  VIEW  OF  THE 

FALLS  OF  NIAGARA. 

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https://afchive.org/details/descriptionofvie00burf_37 


Explanation  of  a  JlJZWofTME  JEALLS  of MlAGARA  Exhibiting  at  the  PAWOIU3U ,  C^treet, Boston. 

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21  Descent  to  the  Ferry 

22  Schlosser  Fall 

23  Pro.  <; perils  Jen  id 


2d  Tillage  of  Niagara  Palis  NY 
V  Central  Fall -2ff Entrance  to  Cave  of  the  triads 

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Pari  of  the.  Table  Rod 
^  Which  fell  in  Fitly  ISIS 


DESCRIPTION 


OF  A 


OF  THE 


FALLS  OF  NIAGARA, 


NOW  EXHIBITING 


AT 


TS>&S5<m&21l&9  (HSL&motfES 

BOSTON. 


PAINTED  BY  ROBERT  BURFORD, 

FROM  DRAWINGS  TAKEN  BY  HIM  IN  THE  AUTUMN  OF  1832. 


BOSTON: 

PRINTED  BY  PERKINS  AND  MARVIN. 


1837. 


Melancholy  Accident. — A  punful  oc¬ 
currence  took  place  at  Niagara  Falls  on  Sat¬ 
urday,  the  24th  til*,  in  the  death  of  Miss  Mar¬ 
tha  K.  Rugg,  of  Lancaster,  Mass.  A  corres¬ 
pondent  ofthe  Commercial  Advertiser  gives 
the  following  particulars. 

“She  came  down  this  morning  from  BufFu- 
lo,  to  visit  the  Falls,  in  company  with  John 
Long,  Esq.,  of  Detroit,  a  gentleman  connec¬ 
ted  in  business  with  the  deceased’s  brother- 
in-law,  who  if  I  understand  correctly,  is  nam¬ 
ed  How. 

“  At  12  o’clock  they  sat  opposite  to  me  at 
lunch,  and  soon  after  walked  down  toward 
Table  Rock.  When  near  the  Museum, walk 
ing  near  the  brink  of  the  precipice,  she  re¬ 
marked,  ‘  I  will  pluck  that  shrub.’  She  at¬ 
tempted  it,  and  stooping  forward  to  do  so, 
lost  her  balance,  and  crying  out,  4  Save  me,’ 
she  was  instantly  lost  to  sight.  Several  per¬ 
sons  who  saw  her  fall,  or  heard  her  cry,  run¬ 
down  the  stairs,  a  short  distance  from  the 
spot,  and  were  soon  by  her  side.  I  convers¬ 
ed  with  the  first  person  who  reached  her. 
She  had  then  one  hand  placed  upon  her  breastr 
and  was  breathing  faintly. 

“  A  young  gentleman,  a  physician,  was 
soon  on  the  spot,  and  applied  the  lancet.  As 
soon  as  arrangements  could  be  made,  she  was 
placed  in  a  boat,  and  brought  to  the  Clifton 
House. 

“Three  physicians  were  quickly  in  atten¬ 
dance,  and  every  tiling  done  that  Could  be, 
but  the  internal  injury  was  too  great  to  ad¬ 
mit  of  he  recovery.  S-lie  must  have  broken 
the  fall  by  striking  against  some  bushes  on 
the  way  down,  or  the  body  would  have  been 
greatly  mangled  on  the  rocks  on  which  she 
was  found.  One  of  her  ankles  was  disclosed, 
and  her  face  is  somewhat  bruised,  and  also 
one  of  her  hands. 

“  The  ladies  who  have  seen  her  inform  me 
that  she  appears  to  be  about  eighteen  years 
of  age,  and  one  ol  the  most  beautiful  girles 
they  ever  looked  upon.  I  understand  that  she! 
had  a  very  superior  mind,  and  was  highly  edu- ; 
cated.  Mr.  Long  is  in  a  most  distressed  state  i 
of  mind,  and  has  fainted  three  times  since  the  | 
accident  occuir-'d.” 


THE  FALLS  OF  NIAGARA 


“  The  roar  of  waters  !■ — from  the  headlong'  height 
[Niagara]  cleaves  the  wave-worn  precipice  ; 

The  fall  of  waters  ! — rapid  as  the  light, 

The  flashing  mass  foams,  shaking  the  abyss  ; 

The  hell  of  waters  ! — where  they  howl  and  hiss, 

And  boil  in  endless  torture  ;  while  the  sweat 
Of  their  great  agony,  wrung  out  from  this 
Their  Phlegethon,  curls  round  the  rocks  of  jet 
That  gird  the  gulf  around,  in  pitiless  horror  set, 

“  And  mounts  in  spray  the  skies,  and  thence  again 
Returns  in  an  unceasing  shower,  which  round 
With  its  unemptied  cloud  of  gentle  rain 
Is  an  eternal  April  to  the  ground, 

Making  it  all  one  emerald  : — how  profound 
The  gulf!  and  how  the  giant  element 
From  rock  to  rock  leaps  with  delirious  bound, 

Crushing  the  cliffs,  which,  downward  worn  and  rent 
With  his  fierce  footsteps,  yield  in  chasms  a  fearful  vent 

“To  the  broad  column  which  rolls  on,  and  shows 
More  like  the  fountain  of  an  infant  sea 
Torn  from  the  womb  of  mountains  by  the  throes 
Of  a  new  world,  than  only  thus  to  be 
Parent  of  rivers,  which  flow  gushingly, 

With  many  windings,  through  the  vale  : — Look  back  ! 

Lo  !  where  it  comes  like  an  eternity, 

As  if  to  sweep  down  all  things  in  its  track, 

Charming  the  eye  with  dread — a  matchless  cataract, 

“  Horribly  beautiful  !  but  on  the  verge, 

From  side  to  side,  beneath  the  glittering  morn, 

An  Iris  sits,  amidst  the  infernal  surge, 

Like  Hope  upon  a  dealh-bed,  and,  unworn 
Its  steady  dyes,  while  all  around  is  torn 
By  the  distracted  waters,  bears  serene 
Its  brilliant  hues  with  all  their  beams  unshorn; 

Resembling,  ’mid  the  torture  of  the  scene, 

Love  watching  Madness  with  unalterable  mien.” 

Byron. 

The  Falls  of  Niagara  are  justly  considered  one  of  the  greatest  natural  curi¬ 
osities  in  the  known  world  ;  they  are  without  parallel,  and  exceed  immeasurably 
all  of  the  same  kind  that  have  ever  been  seen  or  imagined ;  travellers  speak  of 
them  in  terms  of  admiration  and  delight,  and  acknowledge  that  they  surpass  in 
sublimity  every  description  which  the  power  of  language  can  afford ;  a  Panorama* 


*  An  intelligent  traveller  says,  “  All  parts  of  the  Niagara  are  on  a  scale  which  baffles  every 
attempt  of  the  imagination,  and  it  were  ridiculous  therefore  to  think  of  describing  it ;  the  ordinary 
means  of  description — I  mean  analogy,  and  direct  comparison  with  things  which  are  more  accessible 
—fail  entirely  in  the  case  of  that  amazing  cataract,  which  is  altogether  unique  ;  yet  a  great  deal,  l 
am  certain,  might  be  done  by  a  well-executed  Panorama :  an  artist  well  versed  in  this  peculiar  sort 


4 


alone  offers  a  scale  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  exhibit  at  one  view  (which  is  indis¬ 
pensable)  the  various  parts  of  this  wonderful  scene,  and  to  convey  any  adequate 
idea  of  the  matchless  extent,  prodigious  power,  and  awful  appearance,  of  this 
stupendous  phenomenon  of  nature ;  but  the  scene  itself  must  be  visited,  to  com¬ 
prehend  the  feeling  it  produces,  and  to  appreciate  the  petrifying  influence  of  the 
tremendous  rush  of  water,  the  boiling  of  the  mighty  flood,  and  the  deep  and 
unceasing  roar  of  the  tumultuous  abyss;  “it  strikes  upon  the  soul  a  sense  of 
majestic  grandeur,  which  loss  of  life  or  intellect  can  alone  obliterate.” 

The  drawings  for  the  present  Panorama  were  taken  near  the  Table  Rock — a 
commanding  situation,  affording  the  most  comprehensive,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
one  of  the  finest  views  of  this  imposing  scene.  Immediately  in  front  of  the 
spectator,  are  the  Falls,  in  simple  and  sublime  dignity,  an  ocean  of  waters  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  in  width,  precipitated  with  astonishing  grandeur,  in  three 
distinct  and  collateral  streams,  down  a  stupendous  precipice  upwards  of  150  feet 
in  height,  on  the  rocks  below,  from  which  they  rebound,  converted,  by  the  violence 
of  the  concussion,  into  a  broad  sheet  of  foam  as  white  as  snow ;  pyramidical 
clouds  of  vapor  or  spray  rise  majestically  in  misty  grandeur  from  the  abyss, 
sparkling  here  and  there  witji  prismatic  colors,  and  a  rainbow  of  extraordinary 
beauty,  and  peculiar  brilliancy,  heightens  the  scene,  by  spanning  the  Great  Fall. 
Above  are  seen  the  agitated  billows,  and  white-crested  breakers  of  the  Rapids, 
tumultuously  hurrying  towards  the  precipice,  bounded  on  the  one  side  by  the 
luxuriant  foliage  of  Goat  Island,  and  on  the  other  by  the  fertile  and  thickly-wooded 
shores  of  Upper  Canada.  Below,  the  river  winds  in  a  stream,  bright,  clear,  and 
remarkably  green,  between  bold  and  rugged  banks,  richly  colored  by  both  wood 
and  rock.  The  surrounding  scenery,  although  it  must  be  viewed  with  comparative 
indifference,  whilst  the  mind  is  absorbed  in  contemplating  the  grandeur  and 
extent  of  the  cataract,  is  also  in  excellent  keeping  ;  stupendous  and  lofty  banks, 
immense  fragments  of  rock  in  fantastic  forms,  impenetrable  woods  approaching 
their  very  edge,  the  oak,  ash,  cedar,  maple,  and  other  forest  trees  of  extraordinary 
growth  and  singular  shape,  the  pine,  and  various  evergreens,  brushwood  peeping 
from  the  fissures,  and  beautiful  creeping  plants  clinging  to  the  perpendicular 
sides  of  the  rocks,  presenting  a  vast  variety  of  foliage  and  diversity  of  hue,  rendered 
still  more  pleasing  by  the  first  frosts  of  autumn  having  changed  the  leaves  of 
some  of  the  more  tender  to  every  shade  of  color,  from  the  brightest  yellow  to  the 
deepest  crimson,  thus  combining  every  thing  that  is  essential  to  constitute  the 
sublime,  the  terrific,  and  the  picturesque. 

The  Niagara  strait — which  forms  the  boundary  line  between  the  British  posses¬ 
sions  and  the  United  States — is  a  grand  natural  canal,  by  which  the  superabundant 
waters  of  Lake  Erie  are  poured  into  Lake  Ontario.  It  is  a  continuation  of  the 
River  St.  Lawrence.  Its  length  from  lake  to  lake  is  37  miles,  following  the 
windings  of  the  stream,  its  general  course  being  northerly,  and  it  varies  in 
breadth  from  30  rods  to  7  or  8  miles.* *'  In  this  distance  the  water  sustains  a  fall 
of  334  feet,  thus  calculated: — between  Lake  Erie  and  the  Rapids,  16  feet;  in  the 
Rapids,  58  feet; 'in  the  Crescent  Fall,  154  feet;  and  the  remainder  before  it 
reaches  Lake  Ontario.  In  the  early  part  of  its  course,  the  river  is  broad  and 
tranquil,  and  presents  a  scene  of  the  most  profound  repose,  its  waters  being 
nearly  level  with  its  shores,  and  the?  large  and  beautiful  island,  Owanungah, 
dividing  it  into  two  streams  for  a  considerable  distance.  At  Chippewa  and 


of  painting,  might  produce  a  picture  which  would  probably  distance  every  thing  else  of  the  kind.” 
— “  The  task  must  be  done  by  a  person  who  shall  go  to  the  spot  for  the  express  purpose,  making 
the  actual  drawings,  which  he  himself  is  afterwards  to  convert  into  a  Panorama,  which,  if  well 
executed,  could  not  fail  to  impart  some  portion  of  the  pleasure  communicated  by  the  reality.” 
The  same  traveller,  having  seen  the  painting  in  progress,  has  expressed  the  following  opinion  : — 
“  The  Panorama  of  Niagara,  though  not  completed,  is  sufficiently  advanced  to  enable  any  one 
who  has  seen  it  to  judge  of  the  effect ;  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  you  have  accomplished 
a  task  which  I  hardly  hoped  to  see  executed  ;  I  think  your  painting  gives  not  only  an  exceedingly' 
accurate,  but  a  most  animated  view  of  the  Falls.” 

*  Its  greatest  width  is  across  the  centre  of  Owanungah,  or  Grand  Island,  which  is  about 
miles  across,  and  divides  the  river  into  two  parts  for  about  10  miles,  the  branch  on  each  side  of  it 
being  from  \  to  1  mile  in  width.  The  broadest  expanse  of  water  is  below  Grand  Island,  where  it 
resembles  a  beautiful  bay,  about  2|  miles  broad. — Ingraham's  Manual. 


Schlosser,  about  two  miles  above  the  Falls,  where  the  navigation  ends,  a  con¬ 
siderable  current  is  perceptible,  and  the  glassy  smoothness  is  disturbed  by  slight 
ripples  ;  the  shores  now  contract  considerably,  and  the  bed  of  the  river  begins  to 
slope ;  the  water  shortly  after  becomes  much  agitated,  and  the  magnificent 
Rapids  commence ;  rock  after  rock  chafes  the  stream,  which  becomes  perfectly 
white,  and  rushes  with  frightful  velocity  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  over  which 
it  plunges  in  an  unexampled  volume,  with  terrific  impetuosity,  being  unquestion¬ 
ably  the  greatest  mass  of  water  that  is  poured  down  any  tall,  either  in  the  new  or 
old  world.  The  quantity  of  water  thus  projected  is  computed  to  be  not  less  than 
one  hundred  millions  of  tons  per  hour.’*  However  great  this  quantity  may  seem, 
yet  it  is  probably  not  overrated  ;  for  it  must  be  remembered,  that  the  four  great 
iakes,  which,  from  their  size,  might  be  more  properly  termed  inland  seas,  with  all 
the  numerous  and  large  rivers  which  flow  into  them,  covering  a  surface  of 
150,000  square  miles,  and  containing  nearly  one  half  of  the  fresh  water  on  the 
face  of  the  globe,  have  only  this  one  outlet  for  their  superfluous  waters.f  The 
tremendous  roar  of  this  great  body  of  water  dashing  into  the  abyss  below,  is  of  a 
most  extraordinary  description,  difficult  to  explain,  not  altogether  deafening,  and, 
although  monotonous,  it  does  not  produce  disagreeable  sensations.  Immediately 
after  the  tall,  the  river  subsides  from  this  state  of  sublime  agitation,  and  then 
again  rolls  with  impetuous  velocity,  in  a  narrow  channel,  through  a  deep  dell, 
bordered  by  rugged  and  perpendicular  banks,  as  far  as  Queenston  and  Lewiston. 

From  Lake  Erie  to  Lewiston  and  Queenston,  the  face  of  the  country  presents 
the  appearance  of  a  vast  level  plain,  with  the  exception  of  the  space  between 
Chippewa  and  the  Falls,  where,  in  about  two  miles,  the  ground  rises  about  125 
feet,  and  the  river,  as  before  mentioned,  descends  about  58 ;  just  above  Queenston 
and  Lewiston,  this  table  land  abruptly  terminates,  and  sinks  to  a  plain  about  100 
feet  above  the  level  of  Lake  Ontario.  Over  this  precipice,  it  is  by  some  supposed 
that  the  river,  in  remote  ages,  poured  its  waters ;  and  that  its  continued  and  vio¬ 
lent  action  has  gradually  worn  away  the  rocks,  and  carried  back  the  Falls  to  their 
present  situation.  But  a  different  opinion  has  been  held  by  others,  and  much 
been  written  to  prove  that  the  river  flows  through  a  natural  ravine.  Through  the 
whole  length  of  the  ravine,  the  horizontal  strata  present  the  same  appearance 
on  both  its  sides;  the  upper  rock  (beneath  the  common  diluvium  or  superficial 
soil  of  the  country)  being  brown  fetid  limestone,  (the  “  geodiferous  limerock  ”  of 
Eaton,)  70  or  80  feet  thick,  lying  upon  an  argillo-calcareous  slate,  (“  calciferous 
slate  ”  of  Eaton,)  or  shale,  which  is  about  80  feet  in  thickness.  Under  this  reposes 
a  series  of  arenaceous  rocks,  highly  ferruginous  in  their  superior  portions,  and 
very  argillaceous  in  the  inferior.  By  the  violent  blasts  of  wind,  which  arise  from 
the  abyss,  and  the  continual  action  of  the  water,  the  shale  is  rapidly  worn  away, 
and  the  mass  of  limestone,  being  left  without  a  foundation,  falls,  from  time  to  time, 
in  enormous  masses,  particularly  after  severe  frosts.  A  person  who  had  resided 
at  the  Falls  lor  3(5  years,  declared  that  they  had  receded  within  his  memory  40  or 
50  yards,  which  was  corroborated  by  another,  who  had  been  in  the  neighborhood 
for  40  years.};  An  immense  portion  broke  from  the  llorse-shoe  Fall  on  the  28th 
of  December,  1828,  and  tumbled  into  the  abyss  with  a  shock  like  an  earthquake. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  form  a  reasonable  calculation  as  to  the  period  which  has 
elapsed  since  the  waters  first  began  to  open  the  gorge,  admitting  that  they  have 
thus  cut  their  way  back.  Professor  Lyell  computes  that,  if  the  ratio  of  retroces¬ 
sion  has  never  been  exceeded,  it  must  have  required  nearly  10,000  years  for  the 


*  Dr.  Dwight  calculates  the  river  at  the  ferry,  seven  furlongs  wide,  and  25  feet  deep,  running 
never  less  than  six  miles  per  hour  :  the  quantity  of  water  that  passes  in  that  time  is  consequently 
above  102,000,000  of  tons  avoirdupois. 

f  Lake  Superior,  the  largest  fresh-water  lake  in  the  world,  is  1750  miles  in  circumference  ;  its 
mean  depth  is  900  feet,  its  greatest  depth  1200  feet ;  and  its  surface  is  041  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea  .  Lake  Huron  is  1000  miles  in  circumference;  has  about  the  same  depth  as  Lake  Superior, 
and  is  59G  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  :  Lake  Michigan  has  the  same  level  and  depth  as  Lake 
Huron,  and  is  731  miles  in  circumference  :  Lake  Erie  is  658  miles  in  circumference,  565  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  has  only  a  mean  depth  of  120  feet. 

|  These  recessions,  however,  were  in  the  angle  or  curve  of  the  Crescent  or  Horse-shoe  Fall; 
but  there  is  no  evidence  that  there  has  been  any  recession  at  the  sides  of  the  Falls,  within  the 
memory  of  man. 


6 


excavation  ;  and,  by  the  same  calculation,  it  will  require  at  least  30,000  to  reach 
Lake  Erie;  but  when  the  river  was  confined  to  a  narrower  channel,  the  operation 
might  have  been  much  quicker.  The  distance  from  the  mouth  of  the  ravine  is 
nearly  seven  miles,  the  average  breadth  1200  feet.  Up  to  the  period  when  Goat 
Island  divided  the  Fall,  the  whole  force  of  the  water  would  have  been  exerted  on 
this  surface  ;  since  that  time,  the  operative  power  of  the  water  has  been  extended 
to  nearly  3500  feet :  this  diminished  action  would  necessarily  be  attended  by  a 
retardation  in  the  retrocession  of  the  cataract.  The  Fall  has  also  reached  a  point 
where,  in  addition  to  the  thickness  of  the  limestone  beds,  numerous  layers  of 
chert  give  additional  strength  and  durability. 

A  communication  has  within  a  few  years  been  opened  between  the  western 
lakes  and  the  sea,  by  the  grand  Erie  Canal,  from  Lake  Erie  to  the  Hudson,  and  by 
the  Welland  Canal,  between  Lake  Erie  and  Lake  Ontario.  The  Welland  Canal 
commences  at  Port  Colburn,  in  Gravelly  Bay,  passes  the  river  Chippewa  by 
means  of  a  noble  aqueduct,  and  enters  Lake  Ontario  at  Port  Dalhousie.  The 
work  was  commenced  in  1824,  and  was  completed  in  live  years ;  it  is  43  miles  in 
length,  58  feet  in  width,  and  8£  feet  in  depth ;  it  admits  vessels  of  125  tons 
burden  ;  the  whole  descent  is  342  feet,  which  is  accomplished  by  37  locks.  At 
the  Deepcut,  about  8  miles  from  the  Falls,  1,477,700  cubic  feet  of  earth  were 
removed  ;  and  at  the  Mountain  Ridge,  where  the  descent  is  made,  70,000  cubic 
yards  of  rock.  The  idea  originated  with  Mr.  W.  H.  Merritt,  of  St.  Catherine’s, 
and  the  work  was  planned  and  accomplished,  with  the  assistance  of  the  British 
govern rrtent,  by  the  Canada  Land  Company,  at  the  expense  of  £200,000.  This 
canal  is  now  the  property  of  the  government. 

Little  was  known  of  the  Falls  of  Niagara  previous  to  the  commencement  of  the 
last  century.  They  were  described  by  Father  Hennepin  in  1678,  and  by  LaHon- 
tan  in  1687.  In  the  iatter  part  of  the  last  century,  they  were  visited  by  several 
travellers;  but  it  is  only  within  a  few  years  that  they  have  been  a  fashionable 
place  of  resort.  The  number  of  visitors  is  now  probably  from  20,000  to  30,000 
annually;  and  each  successive  year  greatly  outnumbers  its  predecessor. 

The  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  Falls,  and  the  banks  of  the  strait,  have 
been  the  scenes  of  a  succession  of  actions,  attended  with  the  horrors  of  civil  war, 
between  the  British  and  American  troops  in  1812 — 1814,  particularly  four  desper¬ 
ate  encounters  in  July,  August,  and  September,  of  the  latter  year. 


Note. — For  most  of  the  data  in  this  Description,  we  are  indebted  to  the  valuable  “  Manual  for 
(he  Use  of  Visiters  to  the  Falls  of  Niagara,”  &.C.,  by  Mr.  Joseph  W.  Ingraham,  of  Boston; 
which  we  have  been  kindly  permitted  by  the  author  to  use  for  this  purpose ;  and  to  which  we 
would  refer  for  a  more  full  description  of  this  great  wonder  of  the  world.  Mr.  Ingraham  has  been 
engaged  for  four  years  in  preparing  an  extensive  work  descriptive  of  these  Falls,  and  the  country 
adjacent  to  them,  which  is  expected  soon  to  issue  from  the  press,  and  which  is  to  be  accompanied 
by  copious  Maps,  Plans,  Elevations,  Profiles,  Views,  &.C. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  ENGRAVING. 


1. — Goat  Island. 

An  island,  about  half  a  mile  in  length,  inserted  like  a  wedge  between  the  Falls,  pre¬ 
senting  its  broadest  end,  which  is  about  1320  feet,  to  the  precipice  ;  it  is  thickly  covered 
with  wood,  and  exhibits  a  variety  of  romantic  scenery.  It  is  approached  over  two 
bridges  thrown  from  the  main  shore  to  Bath  Island,  and  from  Bath  Island  to  this.  A 
path  winds  round  it,  from  which  various  other  paths  diverge  to  the  most  advantageous 
points  for  viewing  the  Rapids  and  Falls. 

It  is  reported  that  this  island  was  first  visited  during  the  Canadian  war  of  1755,  by 
General  Putnam,  who,  in  consequence  of  a  wager  having  been  laid  that  no  man  in  the 
army  would  dare  to  attempt  a  descent  upon  it,  made  a  successful  effort ;  he  dropped 
down  the  river,  from  a  considerable  distance  above,  in  a  boat,  strongly  secured  by  ropes 
to  the  shore,  by  which  means  he  was  afterwards  safely  landed.  When  the  island  was 
first  explored,  after  the  construction  of  the  bridge  from  the  main  shore,  many  dates 
were  found  cut  upon  the  trees,  one  of  which  was  as  early  as  1745. 

A  young  Englishman,  named  Francis  Abbot,  of  respectable  connections,  either  through 
misfortune  or  a  morbid  state  of  mind,  which  made  him  desire  seclusion,  took  up  his  resi¬ 
dence  on  this  island,  and  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Falls,  for  two  years ;  and  became 
so  fascinated  with  the  solitude  and  the  scenery,  that  no  inducement  could  divert  his 
thoughts,  or  draw  him  from  the  spot,  where  he  acquired  the  name  of  the  “  Hermit  of 
the  Falls.”  The  following  account  of  him  is  condensed  from  one  furnished  by  Mr.  In¬ 
graham. 

He  arrived  at  the  Falls,  on  foot,  in  June,  1829,  dressed  in  a  loose  gown  or  cloak  of  a 
chocolate  color,  carrying  under  his  arm  a  roll  of  blankets,  a  flute,  a  portfolio,  and  a  largo 
book,  which  constituted  the  whole  of  his  baggage.  He  took  up  his  abode,  in  the  first 
instance,  in  the  small  inn  of  Ebenezer  O'Kelly,  on  the  New  York  side,  stipulating  that 
the  room  he  occupied  should  be  exclusively  his  own,  that  he  should  have  his  table  to 
himself,  and  that  certain  parts  of  his  cooking  only  should  be  done  by  his  host.  He  then 
repaired  to  the  library,  where  he  gave  his  name,  and  took  out  a  book,  purchased  a  violin, 
and  borrowed  some  music-books.  The  following  day  he  again  visited  the  library,  expa¬ 
tiated  largely,  with  great  ease  and  ability,  on  the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  Falls,  and  de¬ 
clared  his  intention  of  remaining  at  least  a  week ;  for  “  a  traveller  might  as  well,”  he 
said,  “  in  two  days  examine  in  detail  the  various  museums  and  curiosities  of  Paris,  as 
become  acquainted  with  the  splendid  scenery  of  Niagara  in  the  same  space  of  time.” 
On  a  subsequent  visit,  he  declared  his  intention  of  staying  at  least  a  month,  perhaps  six. 
Shortly  after,  he  determined  on  fixing  his  abode  on  Goat  Island,  and  was  desirous  of 
erecting  a  hut,  in  which  he  might  live  quite  secluded.  The  proprietor  of  the  island  did 
not  think  proper  to  grant  this  request,  but  permitted  him  to  occupy  a  small  room  in  the 
only  house  on  the  island,  the  family  in  which  occasionally  furnished  him  with  bread 
and  milk,  though  he  more  generally  dispensed  with  these, providing,  and  always  cooking, 
his  own  food.  During  the  second  winter  of  his  seclusion,  the  family  removed,  and  to 
the  few  persons  with  whom  he  held  communication,  he  expressed  great  satisfaction  at 
being  able  to  live  alone.  For  some  months  he  enjoyed  this  seclusion  ;  but  another  fam¬ 
ily  having  entered  the  house,  he  quitted  the  island,  (having  resided  on  it  twenty  months,) 
and  built  himself  a  small  hut  on  the  main  shore,  about  thirty  rods  below  the  Schlosser 
Fall.  He  lived  to  occupy  his  new  residence  only  about  two  months.  On  the  10th  of 
June,  1831,  he  was  seen  to  bathe  twice,  and  was  observed  by  the  ferry-man  to  enter  the 
water  a  third  time  about  two  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  :  his  clothes  remaining  for  some 


8 


hours  where  he  had  deposited  them,  an  alarm  was  created,  and  an  ineffectual  search  was 
made  for  him.  On  the  21st,  his  body  was  taken  out  of  the  river  at  Fort  Niagara,  and, 
the  next  day,  was  decently  interred  in  the  burial-ground  near  the  Falls. 

When  his  hut  was  examined,  his  faithful  dog  was  found  guarding  the  door,  and  was 
with  difficulty  persuaded  aside  while  it  was  opened  ;  his  cat  occupied  his  bed  ;  his  gui¬ 
tar,  violin,  flutes,  music-books,  and  portfolio,  were  scattered  around  in  confusion,  but  no 
papers  relative  to  himself,  or  throwing  any  light  upon  his  extraordinary  character,  were 
to  be  found.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  highly-cultivated  mind  and  manners,  and  finished 
education  ;  master  of  several  languages;  well  versed  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  pos¬ 
sessing,  in  an  eminent  degree,  all  the  minor  accomplishments  of  the  gentleman.  He 
performed  on  various  musical  instruments  with  great  taste,  and  his  drawings  were  very 
spirited.  Many  years  of  his  life  had  been  spent  in  travelling.  He  had  visited  Egypt 
and  Palestine ;  had  travelled  through  Turkey,  Greece,  Italy,  Spain,  Portugal,  and 
France  ;  and  had  resided  for  considerable  periods  of  time  in  Rome,  Naples,  and  Paris. 
In  all  his  travels,  he  said,  he  had  never  met  with  any  thing  that  would  compare,  in  sub¬ 
limity,  with  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  except  Mount  ./Etna  during  an  eruption.  While  at 
the  Falls,  business  occasionally  brought  him  in  contact  with  some  of  the  inhabitants, 
with  a  few  of  whom  he  would  sometimes  be  sociable  :  to  all  others  he  was  distant  and 
reserved.  At  such  times,  his  conversation  would  be  of  the  most  interesting  kind,  and 
his  descriptions  of  people  and  countries  were  highly  glowing  and  animated.  But,  at 
times,  even  with  these,  he  would  hold  no  conversation,  communicating  his  wishes  on  a 
slate,  and  desiring  not  to  be  spoken  to.  Sometimes,  for  three  or  four  months  together,  he 
would  go  unshaved,  often  with  no  covering  on  his  head,  his  body  enveloped  in  a  blan¬ 
ket,  shunning  all,  and  seeking  the  deepest  solitudes  of  Goat  Island.  He  was  about 
twenty-eight  years  of  age,  in  person  tall  and  well  made,  and  of  handsome  features. 
When  obliged  to  have  any  intercourse  with  others,  he  was  generous  in  paying  for  all 
favors  and  services,  never  receiving  any  thing  without  making  immediate  payment. 
He  had  a  deep  and  abiding  sense  of  religious  duty  and  decorum  ;  was  mild  in  his  beha¬ 
vior,  and  inoffensive  in  his  conduct.  Religion  was  a  subject  which  he  appeared  well  to 
understand,  and  highly  to  appreciate.  The  charity  he  asked  from  others,  he  extended 
to  all  mankind. 

Many  spots  on  Goat  Island  are  consecrated  to  his  memory;  at  the  upper  end,  he  es¬ 
tablished  his  promenade,  which  became  hard-trodden  and  well-beaten,  like  that  in 
which  the  sentinel  performs  his  round  of  duty.  Between  Goat  and  Moss  Islands,  em¬ 
bowered  in  seclusion  and  shade,  is  one  of  the  most  romantic  and  charming  cascades 
imaginable.  This  was  his  favorite  retreat  for  bathing,  where  he  resorted  at  all  seasons 
of  the  year,  even  in  the  coldest  weather,  when  there  was  snow  on  the  ground,  and  ice 
on  the  river.  On  Terrapin  Bridge  it  was  his  daily  practice  to  walk  for  hours  together, 
from  one  extremity  to  the  other,  with  a  quick  pace  ;  and  sometimes  he  would  let  him¬ 
self  down  at  the  end  of  the  projecting  timber,  which  extends  ten  or  fifteen  feet  beyond 
the  Fall,  and  hang  under  it  by  his  hands  and  feet  over  the  terrific  precipice,  for  fifteen 
minutes  at  a  time.  To  the  inquiry  why  he  thus  exposed  himself,  he  would  reply,  that 
in  crossing  the  ocean,  lie  had  frequently  seen  the  sea-boy,  “  on  the  high  and  giddy 
mast,”  perform  far  more  perilous  acts,  and,  as  he  should  probably  again  pass  the  sea 
himself,  he  wished  to  inure  himself  to  such  dangers.  If  the  nerves  of  others  were  dis¬ 
turbed,  his  were  not.  In  the  wildest  hours  of  the  night,  he  was  often  found  walking 
alone,  and  without  fear,  in  the  most  dangerous  places  near  the  Falls;  and,  at  such  times, 
he  would  shun  approach,  as  if  he  had  a  dread  of  man. 


2. — Biddle  Staircase. 


Constructed  in  the  year  1829,  at  the  expense  of  Nicholas  Biddle,  Esq.,  of  Philadel¬ 
phia,  to  facilitate  the  descent  to  the  rocks  at  the  foot  of  Goat  Island,  where  magnificent 
and  much-admired  views  of  the  Falls  are  obtained.  The  island  is  185  feet  above  the 
gulf ;  the  first  44  feet  of  the  descent  is  in  the  alluvial  soil  and  rock  ;  the  next  88  is  a 
spiral  wooden  staircase,  and  the  remaining  distance  the  descent  is  by  the  sloping  bank, 
in  every  direction,  over  immense  fragments  of  rock,  which  have  been  broken  off  and 
tumbled  from  the  iedge  above.  The  construction  of  this  descent  has  opened  one  of  the 
finest  fishing  places  in  this  part  of  the  Union  ;  the  water  being  the  resort  of  various  fish 
which  come  up  from  Lake  Ontario,  and  are  stopped  by  the  Falls.  The  notorious  Sam 
Patch  leaped  from  a  ladder,  97  feet  high,  into  the  smooth  water  in  front  of  this  stair¬ 
case,  in  October,  1829,  and  received  no  injury. 


9 


3. —  Column  of  Vapor. 


The  mighty  clouds  of  vapor  which  are  thrown  up  from  the  Falls  move  with  the  wind, 
and  descend  in  a  misty  shower  like  rain  ;  they  are  seen  from  a  very  great  distance,  ap¬ 
pearing  like  a  pillar  of  smoke.  When  the  sun  and  the  position  of  the  observer  are  fa¬ 
vorable,  they  present  a  remarkably  beautiful  appearance,  sparkling  like  diamonds,  with 
occasional  flashes  of  the  most  brilliant  colors,  and  a  splendid  rainbow. 


4. — Terrapin  Bridge. 


A  singular  bridge  or  pier,  300  feet  in  length,  has  been  constructed  upon  what  are 
called  the  Terrapin  Rocks,  where  a  single  piece  of  timber  actually  projects  over  the  edge 
of  the  Great  Fall  about  10  feet.  Although  the  prodigious  magnitude  of  the  falling  water 
is  not  so  apparent  as  from  below,  yet,  from  the  extremity  of  this  bridge,  standing,  as  it 
were,  in  the  very  midst  of  the  mighty  flood,  the  scene  is  terrific  and  appalling,  and  can¬ 
not  be  viewed  without  astonishment  and  awe,  not  unmixed  with  fear.  A  late  writer 
says,  “  If  the  visitor  is  alone,  and  gives  ivay  to  his  feelings,  he  must  fall  on  his  knees, 
for  the  grandeur  of  the  scene  is  overpowering.” 


Before  approaching  the  precipice,  over  which  the  water  is  precipitated,  the  river 
sinks,  in  little  more  than  half  a  mile,  58  feet,  and  the  stratum  of  limestone,  which  forms 
its  bed,  is  intersected  with  seams  and  patches  of  hard,  dark-colored  chert.  Through 
this  channel  of  rugged  rocks  the  water  rushes  with  terrific  and  ungovernable  impetuosi¬ 
ty,  a  fiercely-raging  torrent,  converted,  by  the  resistance  with  which  it  meets,  into  a 
broad  expanse  of  foam,  as  white  as  snow,  bearing  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  breakers 
on  a  rocky  shore  during  a  gale.  The  inhabitants  of  the  neighborhood  consider  it  as 
certain  death  to  get  once  involved  in  the  Rapids;  not  only  because  escape  from  the 
cataracts  would  be  hopeless,  but  because  the  force  of  the  water  amongst  the  rocks  would 
probably  destroy  life  before  the  Falls  were  approached.  Instances  are  on  record  of  the 
melancholy  fate  of  persons  who  have  thus  perished.  In  the  summer  of  1821,  three  men 
were  removing  furniture  from  iNavy  Island  ;  the  wind  was  high,  and  in  the  direction  of 
the  Falls  ;  the  current  was  consequently  stronger  than  usual,  and  they  thought  it  unsafe 
to  cross  so  near  the  Falls.  They  fastened  their  boat,  and  went  to  sleep  in  it.  By  some 
means,  it  became  loosened,  and  they  discovered  themselves  already  in  the  Rapids.  No 
human  power  could  save  them ;  the  boat  was  carried  down,  and  in  a  few  moments 
dashed  to  pieces.  Some  of  the  goods  were  picked  up  below,  much  broken  ;  but  a  table 
floated  ashore  uninjured. 

The  celebrated  Chateaubriand  relates  that  he  narrowly  escaped  a  similar  fate  :  he 
was  viewing  the  Falls  from  the  bank  of  the  river,  having  the  bridle  of  his  horse  twisted 
round  his  arm :  a  rattlesnake  stirred  in  the  neighboring  bushes,  and  stattled  the 
horse,  who  reared  and  ran  backwards  towards  the  abyss.  Not  being  able  to  disengage 
his  arm  from  the  bridle,  he  was  dragged  after  him ;  the  horse’s  fore  legs  were  off  the 
ground,  and,  squatting  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice,  he  was  upheld  merely  by  the  bri¬ 
dle,  when,  astonished  by  this  new  danger,  he  suddenly  threw  himself  forward,  and 
sprung  to  a  distance  of  ten  feet,  again  dragging  Chateaubriand  with  him,  who  was  thus 
released  from  his  perilous  situation. 

In  February,  1827,  two  men,  who  embarked  in  a  boat  to  cross  the  river,  were  forced 
into  the  Rapids  by  the  ice,  precipitated  into  the  abyss  below,  and  dashed  to  pieces. 

In  September,  1827,  a  schooner,  called  the  Michigan ,  with  a  number  of  wild  animals 
inhumanly  confined  on  her  deck,  was  towed  to  the  margin  of  the  Rapids,  and  abandoned 
to  her  fate.  She  passed  the  first  fall  of  the  Rapids  in  safety,  but  struck  a  rock  at  the 
■second,  and  lost  her  masts  :  there  she  remained  an  instant,  until  the  current  turned  her 
round,  and  bore  her  away.  A  bear  here  leaped  overboard,  and  swam  to  the  shore.  She 
then  filled,  and  sunk,  so  that  only  her  upper  works  were  visible,  and  she  went  over  the 
cataract  almost  without  being  seen.  In  a>few  moments  her  fragments,  which  were  bro¬ 
ken  very  small,  covered  the  basin  below.  A  cat  and  a  goose  were  the  only  animals 
found  alive.  In  October,  1829,  the  schooner  Superior  was  towed  into  the  current,  and 
abandoned  ;  but  she  struck  on  a  rock,  about  the  middle  of  the  river,  where  she  remained 
a  considerable  time,  and  finally  went  over  the  Falls  in  the  night. 


10 


6. —  Crescent  or  Horse-shoe  Fall. 

The  Crescent  or  Horse-shoe  Fall,  as  it  is  generally  termed,  from  the  precipice  having 
been  worn  by  the  water  into  somewhat  of  that  form,  is  154  feet  in  perpendicular  height ; 
in  consequence  of  its  shape,  the  water  converges  to  the  centre,  where  it  descends  in  a 
solid  mass  at  least  12  feet  in  thickness,  being  driven  forward  with  an  impetus  that  hurls 
it  into  the  gulf  below,  50  feet  from  the  base  of  the  rock.  For  nearly  two  thirds  of  its 
descent,  the  water  in  the  centre  falls  in  one  vast,  unbroken  mass,  smooth  and  unruffled, 
and  of  a  beautiful  green  color  :  the  remainder  is  hidden  by  the  vast  body  of  vapor,  as¬ 
cending  from  the  abyss.  The  whole  surface  of  the  river  appears  a  body  of  foam,  differing 
essentially  from  any  thing  of  the  kind  produced  in  a  similar  way  :  the  bubbles  of  which 
it  is  universally  composed  are  extremely  small,  are  always  ascending  by  millions,  and 
spread  over  the  water  in  one  continued  and  apparently  solid  mass.  The  water  is  also 
projected  upwards,  sometimes  to  the  height  of  120  feet,  by  the  force  of  the  air  below,  in 
an  immense  number  of  small  white  cone6,  with  pointed  heads,  their  tails  varying  from 
one  to  twelve  yards,  stretching  in  every  direction,  which  may  be  seen  continually  start¬ 
ing  from  the  cloud  of  spray. 

From  Goat  Island  to  Table  Rock,  the  distance  in  a  straight  line  is  1221  feet,  but  fol¬ 
lowing  the  curvature  of  the  Fall,  which  is  an  irregular  segment  of  a  circle,  with  a  deep 
angular  gash  near  the  centre,  it  is  2376  feet,  which  vast  width  detracts  most  surprisingly 
from  its  apparent  height.  The  tremendous  noise  occasioned  by  this  vast  body  of  water 
falling  on  the  rocks  below  is  of  a  most  extraordinary  description.  Capt.  Hall  compares 
it  to  the  incessant  rumbling,  deep,  monotonous  sound,  accompanied  by  the  tremor, 
which  is  observable  in  a  grist-mill  of  very  large  dimensions,  where  many  pairs  of  stones 
are  at  work  ; — Mr.  McTaggart,  to  the  tumbling  of  a  vast  quantity  of  large  round  stones, 
from  a  huge  precipice  into  water  of  a  profound  depth.  A  slight  tremulous  motion  of  the 
earth  is  felt  to  some  distance  on  all  sides,  but  is  more  particularly  observable  on  Goat 
Island  :  the  noise  may  be  heard,  when  the  atmosphere  is  favorable,  fifty  miles. 

7. —  Cavern  behind  the  Sheet  of  Water  at  Table  Roclc. 

The  violence  of  the  impulse  causes  the  water  of  the  Great  Fall  to  incline  considerably 
forward  in  its  descent,  and  the  continual  action  on  the  shale  has  hollowed  out  the  rock 
below,  leaving  the  upper  or  hardest  stratum  hanging  over  in  a  very  perilous  manner, 
above  50  feet,  forming  a  sort  of  cavern,  into  which  travellers  are  able  to  penetrate  as  far 
as  Termination  Rock,  an  impassable  mass,  155  feet  from  the  entrance.  The  passage 
into  this  cavern  is  rather  difficult;  but  it  is  the  place  of  all  others  to  contemplate  the 
extraordinary  sight.  The  rush  of  the  water  here  is  awful,  the  thundering  sound  tre¬ 
mendous;  but  the  slippery  and  rugged  rocks,  the  difficulty  of  respiration,  and  the  blasts 
of  air,  which  is  carried  down  in  vast  quantities  by  the  river,  and  rises  again  with  propor¬ 
tionate  velocity  in  every  direction,  with  the  quantity  of  spray  which  accompanies  its 
ascent,  renders  it  unpleasant  to  remain  any  length  of  time. 

10. — Pavilion  Hotel. 

A  large  and  commodious  house,  on  the  heights  above  the  Falls,  containing  excellent 
accommodations  for  about  150  persons.  From  the  top  of  this  house,  and  from  the  galle¬ 
ries  or  verandahs  in  the  rear,  which  are  ranged  one  above  the  other,  a  fine  view  is  ob¬ 
tained  ;  the  surrounding  country,  the  upper  course  of  the  river  for  several  miles,  the 
Rapids,  and  the  Falls,  being  seen  at  the  same  time:  the  lower  part  of  the  Fall  is  of 
course  invisible,  but  the  imagination  cannot  picture  it  more  grand  than  it  really  is.  A 
foot-path,  laid  with  planks,  winds  from  the  upper  bank,  on  which  the  house  is  situated, 
through  the  narrow,  marshy  slip  which  forms  the  immediate  margin  of  the  river,  to 
Table  Rock. 

The  Canadian  side  is  exquisitely  beautiful,  richly  cultivated,  and  thickly  inhabited  : 
the  ground  is  extremely  fertile,  and  the  rapid  progress  of  population,  business,  and  the 
arts,  created  by  the  Welland  Canal,  and  its  collateral  works,  and  its  inexhaustible  water 
power,  will  soon  render  it  one  of  the  most  important  parts  of  the  British  dominions. 
Mr.  Forsyth,  who  was  the  first  proprietor  of  the  hotel  on  this  side,  has  recently  disposed 
of  his  hotel  and  surrounding  property,  to  a  company  of  gentlemen,  who  have  planned  a 
city,  and  propose  erecting  churches,  schools,  ball  and  promenade  rooms,  public  gardens, 
libraries,  and  houses  of  various  sizes,  so  as  to  form  a  place  of  fashionable  resort,  to  be 
called  “  The  City  of  the  Falls.” 


11 


11  &£  17. — Table  Roclc. 

A  broad,  flat  rock,  forming  a  platform  of  considerable  area,  on  the  same  level,  and  in 
immediate  contact  with  the  western  extremity  of  the  great  ledge,  over  which  the  stream 
is  precipitated  ;  being  180  feet  below  the  upper  bank.  It  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best, 
if  not  the  very  best  point  for  viewing  this  magnificent  scene,  as  the  eye  commands  at 
once  the  whole  of  the  majestic  amphitheatre  of  cataracts,  as  well  as  the  various  stations 
on  both  sides  of  the  river,  a  considerable  distance.  The  rocks  having  fallen  away  from 
beneath,  the  surface  projects  several  feet  over  the  abyss.  Visitors  possessed  of  strong 
nerves,  frequently  lay  themselves  flat  on  the  rock,  with  the  face  beyond  the  edge,  look¬ 
ing  from  this  fearful  height  into  the  roaring  abyss  below.  The  Table  Rock  is  a  favorite 
place  for  strangers  to  inscribe  their  initials  or  names,  with  the  date  of  their  visit ;  but  it 
is  probable  that  posterity  will  not  be  much  benefited  by  this  ingenuity,  as  the  rock  has 
many  considerable  seams  and  fissures,  and  a  long  slip,  a  few  yards  below,  fell,  with  a 
tremendous  crash,  in  August,  1818.  This  mass,  which  was  160  feet  in  length,  and  from 
30  to  40  in  breadth,  providentially  fell  during  the  night,  or  many  lives  might  have  been 
lost,  as  the  pathway  to  the  guide’s  house  passed  over  it:  a  portion  of  it,  15  feet  long, 
lies  in  the  river  below,  and  is  delineated  in  the  Picture,  (No.  27.) 

15. — Staircase. 

In  the  rear  of  the  dwelling  of  the  guide,  who  provides  visitors  with  suitable  dresses, 
and  attends  them  to  the  cavern  behind  the  Great  Fall,  a  convenient  staircase  descends 
from  the  platform  to  the  sloping  shore  of  the  water  below,  and  a  rough  and  slippery 
path,  over  fragments  of  fallen  rock,  conducts  to  the  foot  of  the  Fall.  From  the  river  the 
Fall  has  an  extraordinary  appearance  ;  no  part  of  the  Rapids  being  seen,  the  water  ap¬ 
pears  to  be  poured  perpendicularly  from  the  clouds. 


18. — Path  to  the  Ferry. 

A  convenient  road  or  path,  which  greatly  facilitates  the  approach  to  the  Ferry, 
and  forms  an  agreeable  promenade  ;  it  proceeds  about  half  a  mile  in  a  direct  line,  when, 
turning  short  round,  it  descends,  in  a  safe  and  easy  manner,  to  the  margin  of  the  river. 

...  * 

19. — Ferry. 

About  half  a  mile  below  the  Horse-shoe,  and  a  few  rods  below  the  Schlosser  Fall,  the 
river,  which  is  there  76  rods  in  width,  is  safely  crossed  in  a  small  boat.  Although  the 
water  is  considerably  agitated,  the  ferrymen  cross,  without  danger,  at  any  time  of  the 
day,  in  about  five  minutes  ;  but  when  the  wind  blows  down  the  stream,  the  passengers 
seldom  escape  without  a  complete  soaking  from  the  spray  of  the  Falls,  which  descends 
like  rain.  The  comparative  smoothness  of  the  river  so  immediately  after  the  Fall,  is  ac¬ 
counted  for  by  the  great  depth  of  the  pool  into  which  the  cataract  is  precipitated,  and 
the  sudden  contraction  of  the  river  ;  the  descending  water  sinks  down  and  forms  an 
under  current,  while  a  superficial  eddy  carries  the  upper  stratum  back  to  the  Fall. 

The  banks  of  the  river  are  here  remarkably  wild  and  striking,  and  the  view  from  this 
place  is  of  the  most  gorgeous  description,  and  of  most  surpassing  grandeur. 


20. — Niagara  County. 

The  banks  of  the  strait,  for  a  considerable  portion  of  its  course  on  the  United  States’ 
side,  are  in  the  county  of  Niagara.  The  roads  on  both  sides  are  separated  from  the  pre¬ 
cipitous  banks,  in  many  places,  only  by  a  narrow  slip  of  woods,  and  the  country  around 
is  most  beautiful,  being  a  succession  of  fertile  fields,  orchards,  and  gardens. 

At  a  short  distance  below  the  Falls  is  a  small  territory,  belonging  to  the  remnant  of 
the  once-powerful  tribe  of  Tuscarora  Indians,  who  emigrated  from  North  Carolina  about 
the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  at  the  invitation  of  the  Five  Nations,  into  whose  con¬ 
federacy  (which  then  received  the  title  of  the  Six  Nations)  they  were  received  :  they 
have  a  Protestant  missionary  resident  amongst  them,  and  many  have  voluntarily  adopt¬ 
ed  Christianity :  several  of  their  farms  are  handsome  and  well  cultivated. 


12 


22. — Schlosser  Fall. 

The  Fall  on  the  United  States’  side,  called  the  Fort  Schlosser  Fall,  is  167  feet  in  per¬ 
pendicular  height;  and  although  it  is  in  reality  13  feet  higher  than  the  Great  Fall,  yet 
from  the  Table  Rock  it  appears  otherwise.  This  is  partly  from  the  effect  of  the  per¬ 
spective,  and  partly  from  the  accumulation  of  rocks  below,  upon  which  the  water 
breaks.  The  whole  width  of  the  Fall  to  Prospect  Island  is  924  feet.  Its  edge  is  very 
much  indented,  and  it  appears  to  be  gradually  assuming  the  horse-shoe  shape.  It  is 
chafed  to  snowy  whiteness  by  projecting  rocks,  which  break  its  fall  in  several  places  to 
two  thirds  of  its  descent ;  but  it  does  not  approach  in  extent,  sublimity,  or  awful  beau¬ 
ty,  to  the  Great  Crescent  or  Horse-shoe  Fall. 

About  64  rods  above  the  crest  of  this  Fall — and  of  course  not  seen  in  the  present 
view — are  two  bridges,  of  admirable  construction,  crossing  the  worst  part  of  the  Rapids 
on  this  side,  to  Goat  Island,  which  was  before  only  accessible,  at  great  personal  risk,  by 
dropping  down  the  river  between  the  two  currents  :  much  boldness  of  conception,  skill, 
and  ingenuity,  were  shown  in  the  construction  of  this  bridge,  by  its  spirited  projector, 
Hon.  Augustus  Porter,  the  principal  proprietor  of  the  United  States’  side  of  the  Falls. 


23. — Prospect  Island. 

On  the  verge  of  the  precipice,  near  Goat  Island,  Prospect  Island  cuts  off  a  portion  of 
the  waters,  forming  the  Central  Fall.  This  island  is  about  10  yards  in  width,  and  is 
connected  with  Goat  Island  by  a  foot  bridge.  It  is  a  romantic  spot ;  and  from  it  is  pre¬ 
sented  the  best  prospect  (whence  its  name)  of  the  Schlosser  Fall  which  can  any  where 
be  obtained. 


24. —  Village  of  Niagara  Falls. 

The  rapidly-increasing  village  of  Niagara  Falls  (formerly  called  Manchester  and 
Grand  Niagara)  is  situated  at  the  Falls,  on  the  United  States’  side.  Two  large  hotels, 
the  Eagle  and  Cataract,  are  kept  here,  and  the  foundation  of  a  third,  on  a  very  extensive 
scale,  was  laid  in  1836.  These  hotels,  as  well  as  those  on  the  Canada  side,  are  crowded 
with  visitors  during  the  travelling  season ;  and  constant  communication  is  kept  up 
with  various  parts  by  rail-roads  and  well-appointed  stage-coaches.  This  village  was 
burnt  by  the  British  troops  in  1813,  and  was  rebuilt  after  the  peace. 


25. —  Central  Fall. 

This  is  a  very  picturesque  cascade, — sometimes  called  the  Ribbon  Fall,  and  some¬ 
times  dignified  with  the  title  of  the  Montmorency  Fall, — which,  however  insignificant  it 
may  here  appear,  amid  the  mighty  rush  of  waters,  would  rank  high  amongst  European 
Cataracts. 

Behind  this  Fall,  is  a  splendid  cavern,  (No.  26,)  similar  to  that  behind  the  great  sheet  of 
water  at  Table  Rock.  It  was  never  trodden  by  human  feet  previous  to  July,  1834,  when 
it  was  explored  by  Mr.  Joseph  W.  Ingraham,  of  Boston,  who  gave  it  the  very  appropriate 
name  of  “  Cave  of  iEolus,”  or  “  Cave  of  the  Winds,”  in  allusion  to  that  “  vasto  rex 
JEolus  antro,"  described  by  Virgil.  It  is  about  50  feet  in  breadth,  from  100  to  150  feet 
around  its  floor,  and  about  100  feet  high,  and  furnishes  one  of  the  most  splendid  views 
which  the  imagination  can  conceive.  The  visitor  may  easily  pass  several  feet  behind 
this  Fall,  and  gain  a  view  of  the  cavern,  from  the  path  constructed  in  the  rock,  and 
there,  “  standing,  as  he  does,  about  midway  in  the  descent  of  the  Fall,  he  may  look 
up  80  feet,  to  its  arched  and  crystal  roof,  and  down,  80  feet,  upon  its  terrible,  and 
misty,  and  resounding  floor.  He  will  never  forget  that  sight  and  sound.” 


'"W'.'W  >< 


